Who told these stories about humour?

These 552 complete stories are from talks by Ajahn Brahm. Being Mindful Stories presents each one with the teacher's own telling, a reflection written in the spirit of the talk, and a link to the original talk at the exact timestamp.

How should I cite a story from this page?

Credit Ajahn Brahm as the storyteller and link the original talk (the timestamped YouTube link on each story page). You can also link the story page on Being Mindful Stories as the place you found it.

Stories about humour

Looking for a Buddhist story about humour? Here are 552 complete stories from talks by Ajahn Brahm. Each page has his own telling, a short reflection, and a link to the original talk.

Joke: the tortoises escaped — After one of his retreats, a student goes back to his job at Perth Zoo so peaceful he can barely…
Joke: the young man who couldn't keep a job — Friends find a bright but jobless young man work as a waiter; he quits after half a day — serving…
Joke: tickets for the policemen's ball — A New South Wales policeman pulls over a speeding woman driver. She asks if he's stopped her to…
Judy and Richard Gere in Dharamsala — Judy, a BSWA member, goes to Dharamsala hoping to interview the Dalai Lama. Meditating one morning…
Juggling machetes for the police — Police find machetes in a man's car; he says he juggles them in the circus, so they make him prove…
Just add water — baby powder — Before the Berlin Wall fell, a man from communist Eastern Europe walks into his first Western…
Keep your hands off — I'm on workers' compensation — An Englishman, a Singaporean and an Australian buy Jesus beers in a pub. Jesus heals the…
Kissed on the nose by an emu — An anagarika sitting calmly with eyes open at Jhana Grove is approached by a wild emu that has…
Knocking in the coffin — the monks jumped first — A Thai lady who comes on Tuesdays says an old woman in her village was in the coffin ready for…
Lakshmi's knitted socks on Friday night — Before a Friday talk Lakshmi gave him hand-knitted socks he rarely wears; he put them on anyway,…
Late-night Thai TV in Bangkok — After flying Perth–Bangkok from a 3.30 a.m. start, Ajahn Brahm is scheduled for a 10.30 p.m. live…
Laughing when you hit your head — As a young monk in Thailand, Ajahn Brahm travelled to ceremonies in the back of a ute under a…
LAX bomb scare — LAPD with machine guns — Los Angeles airport bomb scare wakes him better than coffee; Canadian-terminal walk; LAPD car…
Londoners laughed at the robes — Walking London streets in robes; strangers laugh at his appearance before he understands why —…
'Look out, behind you!' — Simile from his pre-monk cinema days: in a horror film someone in the audience always shouts 'Look…
Looking for the perfect partner — A rich, gorgeous, double-first graduate decides he's so perfect he must marry the most perfect…
Loose robes at the yacht club — After a talk on Buddhism to Perth executives at a yacht/boat club, a woman who grew up in a…
Mahinda's mango-tree riddle — He says the first monk in Sri Lanka (Mahinda) tested the king with a riddle about a mango tree and…
“Make him fall in love again — then divorce him” — A Singapore woman, convinced her husband has a mistress, tells a marriage counsellor she just…
Make-up before the cathedral sermon — The Dean of St George's Cathedral, Perth, invites Ajahn Brahm to give the Sunday eucharist sermon…
Mango orchard planted by the Buddha — First-year monk puzzled — no mango trees at Wat Pah Pong. Ajahn Chah: the monastery is a mango…
Marquee or wigwam: 'You're too tense' — A man tells his psychologist: some days he's sure he's a marquee; other days he's sure he's a…
May you get whatever you want as soon as you want it — Middle-Eastern friend: second-worst curse is fleas of a thousand camels in your armpits; worst is…
Meditate in the restroom — In the US toilets are called restrooms. When tired or stressed, find an empty cubicle and…
Meditating mum — knife and gas threats — Armadale Tuesday-night mum of a four- and six-year-old sits anyway. Kids climb, demand water, pull…
Milk for the vegan cat — Years ago, while vegetarian, Ajahn Brahm stays in a house whose owners are trying to make their…
Miso soup against the bomb — When Ajahn Brahm first came to Perth in the early 1980s, many feared nuclear war between the US…
Mistaken for a circus clown — Walking with his cousin through Stoke-on-Trent one Sunday morning, robed Ajahn Brahm notices…
Mixed vegetables at the autopsy — When the monks are allowed to watch an autopsy, the Scottish pathologist opens the stomach to find…
Money or wisdom? — Gandhi's law professor asks him: if you found two bags in the street, one of money and one of…
Monk at Centrelink: prove you exist — Applying for a Commonwealth seniors card, Ajahn Brahm is asked to prove who he is. Forty-three…
Monk uncle spoils the brother's parenting lecture — Visiting as 'monk uncle', Brahm's niece and nephews ask what Dad was like young; he starts listing…
Most humble monk in the Guinness Book — He jokes about writing to Guinness to be listed as the most humble monk in the world — an oxymoron…
Mouse-to-mouse resuscitation — Mickey and Minnie Mouse are in a car accident; Minnie is badly injured, but Mickey saves her life.…
Mr Bear's third wish — A magic duck grants a bear and a rabbit three wishes each to stop chasing. The bear wishes all…
Mr Howard — the jolly maths teacher — School maths head Mr Howard never scolds; laughs with students; praises them when they catch his…
Mr Jones — afternoon off for Wembley — Scary disciplinarian primary teacher Mr Jones. Dad has two World Cup England–Poland tickets at…
My son is a sports mechanic — A Russian boasts his son earns millions. Doctor? Lawyer? No — sports mechanic: he fixes soccer…
Naked in the coffin — hell has air-con — Dying businessman asks to be buried naked — hell is hot, no clothes needed. Days later his naked…
Nasrudin at the archery stall: “That was me” — Mulla Nasrudin takes his students to a fair and tries the archery stall. The first arrow falls…
Next to a media heir at the urinal — At a Parliament House state dinner for Queen Elizabeth II, Ajahn Brahm finds himself at the urinal…
Nine Pepsi-Colas — lucky number nine — Thirsty on NE Thai tudong, Brahm resolves: if there are devas, get me a Pepsi. Walks past the…
No bad hair days — He hated hairdressers as a kid — they never got it right. Shave your head and it's always right:…
No escape, even in the toilet — Returning exhausted from Los Angeles via Singapore, Ajahn Brahm is met at the gate by supporters…
No Sex in the Monastery — Someone told him Sarah Jessica Parker had been seen in a US coffee shop reading Opening the Door…
No side entrance — through the public bar — Lions Club talk at the back of a Pinjarra pub; he expects a side door for the monk — there is only…
No toilet stops — On a six- or seven-hour bus journey across north-east Thailand, the senior monk (captioned as…
No visitors — except Ajahn Brahm — A Tibetan nun dying in Shenton Park hospice asked him to come, but the nurse barred visitors until…
Not until it cries — A wealthy 65-year-old career woman, never married, has a baby through a fertility clinic. Friends…
'Now I've got you exactly where I want you' — A monk visiting his family in Chicago slips on the ice and breaks his leg. When his mother comes…
'Now the drugs are wearing off' — A man coming round from an anaesthetic sees his wife at his bedside: 'My gosh, you are beautiful.'…
Nudist colony — slow down — naked chicks — A chicken farmer's council speed signs fail to stop cars killing his free-range chicks. Taking…
Number one, above Harry Potter — In the Gramedia bookshop in Jakarta he is shown the top-ten bestsellers: number two is Harry…
'Number one!' — On the monks' Saturday-morning alms round in Perth, a young Australian gave Ajahn Brahm the…
Number three after the Quran and the Bible — In Indonesia a bookseller tells Ajahn Brahm his books are always number three in the big Gramedia…
Oh my God — the Fremantle Docker — Four Catholic mothers compare pride: one son's a priest (Father), one's a bishop (Your Grace),…
“Oh no, not again” — A baby boy born in a US maternity ward, still attached to the umbilical cord, is said to have…
Okay darling — I'll help you pack — A Perth mother whose six-year-old wanted to leave home packed his teddy and PlayStation, made a…
Old monks don't lie — A wandering old monk spends the rains retreat in a hut a poor farmer builds for him. Leaving, he…
Omega equals one — from a T-shirt — Science talk of Omega equals one (nothing excess; coming from nothing and going back) — Brahm…
On the birth of my son — may he be stupid — Ajahn Brahm quotes Su Dongpo (as 'Sung Po'): parents want a child to be intelligent; having…
One Heinz baked bean after the retreat — After a long retreat, breakfast is baked beans from a tin. Ajahn Brahm puts a single bean on the…
One sentence every seven years — In a strict silent monastery a monk may say one sentence to the abbot every seven years. After…
One-pound bet — sober for a year — As a student he bets a cousin one pound he can stay sober a year; decades later the cousin still…
Only keeping four precepts today — Back in Thailand after some years in Australia, Ajahn Brahm watches people take the five precepts…
Opened the Door of the Heart — in the medical section — Adelaide friends hunt his book; self-help clerk joke; they find Opened the Door of the Heart…
Opening the car boot (and the nun loophole) — Youth-group members can't open their locked car boot; Ajahn Brahm agrees to try if Ronnie promises…
Owners of Labradors go blind — Two men talking: one plans to buy a Labrador. His mate: 'Don't be stupid. Haven't you noticed the…
Paid to be shouted at — In ancient Greece a teacher charges his students a few extra coins every time he has to shout at…
Parachute the monks into Syria — Someone told Ajahn Brahm about an episode of the ABC's Q&A on violence in the Middle East. Asked…
Pasta lives — On a retreat where rebirth is discussed, a written question reports two vivid dreams — in one life…
Perfect partner? Get a TV — or a dog — Advice: want someone always there, listening, entertaining, quiet on demand — get a TV; always…
Photo op in the galley — On a Garuda flight from Perth to Bali, a flight attendant puts her hand on her heart: 'I am your…
Please — no jokes after the hysterectomy — The society's former secretary, after a painful hysterectomy, asked Ajahn Brahm to visit but…
“Please don't die during our retreat” — At the start of the rains retreat Ajahn Brahm jokingly asks everyone not to die until October or…
Psychic battle with Hindu saints — In early meditation Ajahn Brahm's mind put on a movie: a psychic battle with Hindu saints flying…
Put a sticker on it — seven days — A friend's workshop driveway is blocked by an illegally parked car; the ranger can only ticket and…
“Put your hand down, Ajahn Brahm!” — At a Singapore talk full of young singles too shy to ask each other out, the MC asks everyone who…
Putting Descartes before the horse — A philosophy horse walks into a bar, says 'I think not,' and vanishes — Descartes: I think…
Quit while you're ahead — count the clean plates — Before washing up, count clean plates versus dirty ones; if clean outnumber dirty, quit while…
Ray-Bans on the meditation demon — Early in his practice a blood-dripping, skull-necklaced demon appears in Ajahn Brahm's deep…
Root canal without anaesthetic — As a young monk at the first Perth centre in North Perth, Ajahn Brahm goes to a free dental clinic…
Rubbing the monk's belly — Around Chinese New Year, standing by the reception door of the Perth centre, Ajahn Brahm is…
Safety Bay — combining metta with the breath — At a Catholic nuns' retreat centre in Safety Bay, senior monks say you can't combine techniques —…
“Samsara sucks” — and the taxi's reply — After a week of breakdowns, missing shower water and redone tickets, Ajahn Brahm writes “samsara…
Sanctuary — the temple cat on the monk's lap — Kitten brought into the meditation hall chooses an adopter; later another cat, seeing its owner…
Send her back — she might resurrect — A man finally takes his difficult Christian wife to Israel; she dies there. Chaplain offers $500…
Seven blind Australians and the kangaroo — Brahm adapts the blind-men-and-elephant into seven blind Australians feeling a kangaroo — tail…
Sexy dance for the Massey Ferguson — A farmer told by a marriage counsellor to do something sexy to attract his wife is later found…
Sharing a room with the snorer — With no free rooms, a traveller accepts a twin share with a legendary snorer and sleeps perfectly.…
She called the police on the Zen stick — A Hong Kong / mainland China Zen retreat: the master hits a sleepy middle-aged woman with the…
She came back to see what her husband was up to — A retreat participant tells how, dying in hospital while her husband raced to reach her, she was…
She failed her exams — and blamed the monk — A first-year Malaysian student asks Ajahn Brahm to chant for her exams. Later her friends tell him…
'She gave me the money and sent me' — A man keeps asking his wife if he can go on a weekend meditation retreat; each time there's too…
“Sir, you're drunk” — “Madam, you're ugly” — Ajahn Brahm tells the 'greatest put-down' he knows, which he attributes to Oscar Wilde: coming out…
Sister Jittindria mistaken for Ajahn Brahm — One of the first nuns, Sister Jittindria, is driven off after Saturday lunch for a tour of Perth.…
Six cooks talking, no one listening — Passing the Serpentine monastery kitchen one morning, Ajahn Brahm notices six Thai ladies…
Six months alone, and the kangaroos ate the pizza — Sometime between 2000 and 2008 his year's sabbatical shrank to six months. Instead of touring, he…
Six out of seven dwarfs aren't happy — A psychological 'assessment' of the Seven Dwarfs proves six out of seven aren't happy — because…
Sixty mosquitoes on one arm — Evening group sittings in the Thai jungle start at 6 p.m., exactly when mosquitoes come for dinner…

Common questions

Is there a Buddhist story about humour?: Looking for a Buddhist story about humour? Here are 552 complete stories from talks by Ajahn Brahm. Each page has his own telling, a short reflection, and a link to the original talk.
Who told these stories about humour?: These 552 complete stories are from talks by Ajahn Brahm. Being Mindful Stories presents each one with the teacher's own telling, a reflection written in the spirit of the talk, and a link to the original talk at the exact timestamp.
How should I cite a story from this page?: Credit Ajahn Brahm as the storyteller and link the original talk (the timestamped YouTube link on each story page). You can also link the story page on Being Mindful Stories as the place you found it.

Looking for a Buddhist story about humour? Here are 552 complete stories from talks by Ajahn Brahm. Each page has his own telling, a short reflection, and a link to the original talk.

Joke: the tortoises escaped — After one of his retreats, a student goes back to his job at Perth Zoo so peaceful he can barely…

Joke: the young man who couldn't keep a job — Friends find a bright but jobless young man work as a waiter; he quits after half a day — serving…

Joke: tickets for the policemen's ball — A New South Wales policeman pulls over a speeding woman driver. She asks if he's stopped her to…

Judy and Richard Gere in Dharamsala — Judy, a BSWA member, goes to Dharamsala hoping to interview the Dalai Lama. Meditating one morning…

Juggling machetes for the police — Police find machetes in a man's car; he says he juggles them in the circus, so they make him prove…

Just add water — baby powder — Before the Berlin Wall fell, a man from communist Eastern Europe walks into his first Western…

Keep your hands off — I'm on workers' compensation — An Englishman, a Singaporean and an Australian buy Jesus beers in a pub. Jesus heals the…

Kissed on the nose by an emu — An anagarika sitting calmly with eyes open at Jhana Grove is approached by a wild emu that has…

Knocking in the coffin — the monks jumped first — A Thai lady who comes on Tuesdays says an old woman in her village was in the coffin ready for…

Lakshmi's knitted socks on Friday night — Before a Friday talk Lakshmi gave him hand-knitted socks he rarely wears; he put them on anyway,…

Late-night Thai TV in Bangkok — After flying Perth–Bangkok from a 3.30 a.m. start, Ajahn Brahm is scheduled for a 10.30 p.m. live…

Laughing when you hit your head — As a young monk in Thailand, Ajahn Brahm travelled to ceremonies in the back of a ute under a…

LAX bomb scare — LAPD with machine guns — Los Angeles airport bomb scare wakes him better than coffee; Canadian-terminal walk; LAPD car…

Londoners laughed at the robes — Walking London streets in robes; strangers laugh at his appearance before he understands why —…

'Look out, behind you!' — Simile from his pre-monk cinema days: in a horror film someone in the audience always shouts 'Look…

Looking for the perfect partner — A rich, gorgeous, double-first graduate decides he's so perfect he must marry the most perfect…

Loose robes at the yacht club — After a talk on Buddhism to Perth executives at a yacht/boat club, a woman who grew up in a…

Mahinda's mango-tree riddle — He says the first monk in Sri Lanka (Mahinda) tested the king with a riddle about a mango tree and…

“Make him fall in love again — then divorce him” — A Singapore woman, convinced her husband has a mistress, tells a marriage counsellor she just…

Make-up before the cathedral sermon — The Dean of St George's Cathedral, Perth, invites Ajahn Brahm to give the Sunday eucharist sermon…

Mango orchard planted by the Buddha — First-year monk puzzled — no mango trees at Wat Pah Pong. Ajahn Chah: the monastery is a mango…

Marquee or wigwam: 'You're too tense' — A man tells his psychologist: some days he's sure he's a marquee; other days he's sure he's a…

May you get whatever you want as soon as you want it — Middle-Eastern friend: second-worst curse is fleas of a thousand camels in your armpits; worst is…

Meditate in the restroom — In the US toilets are called restrooms. When tired or stressed, find an empty cubicle and…

Meditating mum — knife and gas threats — Armadale Tuesday-night mum of a four- and six-year-old sits anyway. Kids climb, demand water, pull…

Milk for the vegan cat — Years ago, while vegetarian, Ajahn Brahm stays in a house whose owners are trying to make their…

Miso soup against the bomb — When Ajahn Brahm first came to Perth in the early 1980s, many feared nuclear war between the US…

Mistaken for a circus clown — Walking with his cousin through Stoke-on-Trent one Sunday morning, robed Ajahn Brahm notices…

Mixed vegetables at the autopsy — When the monks are allowed to watch an autopsy, the Scottish pathologist opens the stomach to find…

Money or wisdom? — Gandhi's law professor asks him: if you found two bags in the street, one of money and one of…

Monk at Centrelink: prove you exist — Applying for a Commonwealth seniors card, Ajahn Brahm is asked to prove who he is. Forty-three…

Monk uncle spoils the brother's parenting lecture — Visiting as 'monk uncle', Brahm's niece and nephews ask what Dad was like young; he starts listing…

Most humble monk in the Guinness Book — He jokes about writing to Guinness to be listed as the most humble monk in the world — an oxymoron…

Mouse-to-mouse resuscitation — Mickey and Minnie Mouse are in a car accident; Minnie is badly injured, but Mickey saves her life.…

Mr Bear's third wish — A magic duck grants a bear and a rabbit three wishes each to stop chasing. The bear wishes all…

Mr Howard — the jolly maths teacher — School maths head Mr Howard never scolds; laughs with students; praises them when they catch his…

Mr Jones — afternoon off for Wembley — Scary disciplinarian primary teacher Mr Jones. Dad has two World Cup England–Poland tickets at…

My son is a sports mechanic — A Russian boasts his son earns millions. Doctor? Lawyer? No — sports mechanic: he fixes soccer…

Naked in the coffin — hell has air-con — Dying businessman asks to be buried naked — hell is hot, no clothes needed. Days later his naked…

Nasrudin at the archery stall: “That was me” — Mulla Nasrudin takes his students to a fair and tries the archery stall. The first arrow falls…

Next to a media heir at the urinal — At a Parliament House state dinner for Queen Elizabeth II, Ajahn Brahm finds himself at the urinal…

Nine Pepsi-Colas — lucky number nine — Thirsty on NE Thai tudong, Brahm resolves: if there are devas, get me a Pepsi. Walks past the…

No bad hair days — He hated hairdressers as a kid — they never got it right. Shave your head and it's always right:…

No escape, even in the toilet — Returning exhausted from Los Angeles via Singapore, Ajahn Brahm is met at the gate by supporters…

No Sex in the Monastery — Someone told him Sarah Jessica Parker had been seen in a US coffee shop reading Opening the Door…

No side entrance — through the public bar — Lions Club talk at the back of a Pinjarra pub; he expects a side door for the monk — there is only…

No toilet stops — On a six- or seven-hour bus journey across north-east Thailand, the senior monk (captioned as…

No visitors — except Ajahn Brahm — A Tibetan nun dying in Shenton Park hospice asked him to come, but the nurse barred visitors until…

Not until it cries — A wealthy 65-year-old career woman, never married, has a baby through a fertility clinic. Friends…

'Now I've got you exactly where I want you' — A monk visiting his family in Chicago slips on the ice and breaks his leg. When his mother comes…

'Now the drugs are wearing off' — A man coming round from an anaesthetic sees his wife at his bedside: 'My gosh, you are beautiful.'…

Nudist colony — slow down — naked chicks — A chicken farmer's council speed signs fail to stop cars killing his free-range chicks. Taking…

Number one, above Harry Potter — In the Gramedia bookshop in Jakarta he is shown the top-ten bestsellers: number two is Harry…

'Number one!' — On the monks' Saturday-morning alms round in Perth, a young Australian gave Ajahn Brahm the…

Number three after the Quran and the Bible — In Indonesia a bookseller tells Ajahn Brahm his books are always number three in the big Gramedia…

Oh my God — the Fremantle Docker — Four Catholic mothers compare pride: one son's a priest (Father), one's a bishop (Your Grace),…

“Oh no, not again” — A baby boy born in a US maternity ward, still attached to the umbilical cord, is said to have…

Okay darling — I'll help you pack — A Perth mother whose six-year-old wanted to leave home packed his teddy and PlayStation, made a…

Old monks don't lie — A wandering old monk spends the rains retreat in a hut a poor farmer builds for him. Leaving, he…

Omega equals one — from a T-shirt — Science talk of Omega equals one (nothing excess; coming from nothing and going back) — Brahm…

On the birth of my son — may he be stupid — Ajahn Brahm quotes Su Dongpo (as 'Sung Po'): parents want a child to be intelligent; having…

One Heinz baked bean after the retreat — After a long retreat, breakfast is baked beans from a tin. Ajahn Brahm puts a single bean on the…

One sentence every seven years — In a strict silent monastery a monk may say one sentence to the abbot every seven years. After…

One-pound bet — sober for a year — As a student he bets a cousin one pound he can stay sober a year; decades later the cousin still…

Only keeping four precepts today — Back in Thailand after some years in Australia, Ajahn Brahm watches people take the five precepts…

Opened the Door of the Heart — in the medical section — Adelaide friends hunt his book; self-help clerk joke; they find Opened the Door of the Heart…

Opening the car boot (and the nun loophole) — Youth-group members can't open their locked car boot; Ajahn Brahm agrees to try if Ronnie promises…

Owners of Labradors go blind — Two men talking: one plans to buy a Labrador. His mate: 'Don't be stupid. Haven't you noticed the…

Paid to be shouted at — In ancient Greece a teacher charges his students a few extra coins every time he has to shout at…

Parachute the monks into Syria — Someone told Ajahn Brahm about an episode of the ABC's Q&A on violence in the Middle East. Asked…

Pasta lives — On a retreat where rebirth is discussed, a written question reports two vivid dreams — in one life…

Perfect partner? Get a TV — or a dog — Advice: want someone always there, listening, entertaining, quiet on demand — get a TV; always…

Photo op in the galley — On a Garuda flight from Perth to Bali, a flight attendant puts her hand on her heart: 'I am your…

Please — no jokes after the hysterectomy — The society's former secretary, after a painful hysterectomy, asked Ajahn Brahm to visit but…

“Please don't die during our retreat” — At the start of the rains retreat Ajahn Brahm jokingly asks everyone not to die until October or…

Psychic battle with Hindu saints — In early meditation Ajahn Brahm's mind put on a movie: a psychic battle with Hindu saints flying…

Put a sticker on it — seven days — A friend's workshop driveway is blocked by an illegally parked car; the ranger can only ticket and…

“Put your hand down, Ajahn Brahm!” — At a Singapore talk full of young singles too shy to ask each other out, the MC asks everyone who…

Putting Descartes before the horse — A philosophy horse walks into a bar, says 'I think not,' and vanishes — Descartes: I think…

Quit while you're ahead — count the clean plates — Before washing up, count clean plates versus dirty ones; if clean outnumber dirty, quit while…

Ray-Bans on the meditation demon — Early in his practice a blood-dripping, skull-necklaced demon appears in Ajahn Brahm's deep…

Root canal without anaesthetic — As a young monk at the first Perth centre in North Perth, Ajahn Brahm goes to a free dental clinic…

Rubbing the monk's belly — Around Chinese New Year, standing by the reception door of the Perth centre, Ajahn Brahm is…

Safety Bay — combining metta with the breath — At a Catholic nuns' retreat centre in Safety Bay, senior monks say you can't combine techniques —…

“Samsara sucks” — and the taxi's reply — After a week of breakdowns, missing shower water and redone tickets, Ajahn Brahm writes “samsara…

Sanctuary — the temple cat on the monk's lap — Kitten brought into the meditation hall chooses an adopter; later another cat, seeing its owner…

Send her back — she might resurrect — A man finally takes his difficult Christian wife to Israel; she dies there. Chaplain offers $500…

Seven blind Australians and the kangaroo — Brahm adapts the blind-men-and-elephant into seven blind Australians feeling a kangaroo — tail…

Sexy dance for the Massey Ferguson — A farmer told by a marriage counsellor to do something sexy to attract his wife is later found…

Sharing a room with the snorer — With no free rooms, a traveller accepts a twin share with a legendary snorer and sleeps perfectly.…

She called the police on the Zen stick — A Hong Kong / mainland China Zen retreat: the master hits a sleepy middle-aged woman with the…

She came back to see what her husband was up to — A retreat participant tells how, dying in hospital while her husband raced to reach her, she was…

She failed her exams — and blamed the monk — A first-year Malaysian student asks Ajahn Brahm to chant for her exams. Later her friends tell him…

'She gave me the money and sent me' — A man keeps asking his wife if he can go on a weekend meditation retreat; each time there's too…

“Sir, you're drunk” — “Madam, you're ugly” — Ajahn Brahm tells the 'greatest put-down' he knows, which he attributes to Oscar Wilde: coming out…

Sister Jittindria mistaken for Ajahn Brahm — One of the first nuns, Sister Jittindria, is driven off after Saturday lunch for a tour of Perth.…

Six cooks talking, no one listening — Passing the Serpentine monastery kitchen one morning, Ajahn Brahm notices six Thai ladies…

Six months alone, and the kangaroos ate the pizza — Sometime between 2000 and 2008 his year's sabbatical shrank to six months. Instead of touring, he…

Six out of seven dwarfs aren't happy — A psychological 'assessment' of the Seven Dwarfs proves six out of seven aren't happy — because…

Sixty mosquitoes on one arm — Evening group sittings in the Thai jungle start at 6 p.m., exactly when mosquitoes come for dinner…

Common questions

Is there a Buddhist story about humour?: Looking for a Buddhist story about humour? Here are 552 complete stories from talks by Ajahn Brahm. Each page has his own telling, a short reflection, and a link to the original talk.
Who told these stories about humour?: These 552 complete stories are from talks by Ajahn Brahm. Being Mindful Stories presents each one with the teacher's own telling, a reflection written in the spirit of the talk, and a link to the original talk at the exact timestamp.
How should I cite a story from this page?: Credit Ajahn Brahm as the storyteller and link the original talk (the timestamped YouTube link on each story page). You can also link the story page on Being Mindful Stories as the place you found it.